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Biography information for Lord Addington

max date

2019-02-20

max answer › date of answer

2019-02-28

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To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the undertaking in the letter from Viscount
Younger of Leckie to Lord Addington on 3 December that those diagnosed with dyslexia
or specific learning difficulties before the age of 16 will no longer have to undertake
a second diagnosis to qualify for the Disabled Students’ Allowance, whether those
who have been qualified to carry out this assessment will continue to be so after
February 2019.

<p>The department is yet to conclude discussions currently being held with relevant
experts, including the British Dyslexia Association, about the qualifications that
should be held by those undertaking specific learning difficulty diagnostic assessments
that can be used to determine eligibility for Disabled Students’ Allowances. The experts
with whom the department is discussing this issue have knowledge and understanding
of diagnostic assessment undertaken for school pupils. The department expects to conclude
these discussions by the middle of March 2019.</p>

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether all potential students with a diagnosis of
dyslexia or specific learning difficulties whose assessment was carried out by somebody
without the Assessment Practising Certificate before the end of February 2019 will
have to undertake and pay for a second assessment to make them eligible for the Disabled
Students’ Allowance in the future.

<p>The department is yet to conclude discussions currently being held with relevant
experts, including the British Dyslexia Association, about the qualifications that
should be held by those undertaking specific learning difficulty diagnostic assessments
that can be used to determine eligibility for Disabled Students’ Allowances. The experts
with whom the department is discussing this issue have knowledge and understanding
of diagnostic assessment undertaken for school pupils. The department expects to conclude
these discussions by the middle of March 2019.</p>

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether those involved in teaching and diagnosing
pupils with dyslexia and specific learning difficulties in the school system have
been consulted about the changes to people who can conduct assessments for eligibility
for the Disabled Students’ Allowance.

<p>The department is yet to conclude discussions currently being held with relevant
experts, including the British Dyslexia Association, about the qualifications that
should be held by those undertaking specific learning difficulty diagnostic assessments
that can be used to determine eligibility for Disabled Students’ Allowances. The experts
with whom the department is discussing this issue have knowledge and understanding
of diagnostic assessment undertaken for school pupils. The department expects to conclude
these discussions by the middle of March 2019.</p>

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee will
recognise assessments carried out by Associate Members of the British Dyslexia Association
for children under 16 for the purposes of the Disabled Students' Allowance without
the need for a second assessment.

<p>It is the department, not the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee, that decides
which diagnostic assessments should be recognised as suitable evidence to determine
eligibility for Disabled Students’ Allowances. The department is currently considering
which accreditation requirements should be met for diagnostic assessments carried
out on young people below the age of 16.</p><p>Information regarding the qualifications
or professional memberships of those undertaking dyslexia assessments for young people
below the age of 16 is not held centrally, nor is it held by the Student Loans Company.</p>

To ask Her Majesty's Government how common it is for those holding a British Dyslexia
Association Assessment Practising Certificate to be involved with dyslexia assessments
for those under the age of 16.

<p>It is the department, not the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee, that decides
which diagnostic assessments should be recognised as suitable evidence to determine
eligibility for Disabled Students’ Allowances. The department is currently considering
which accreditation requirements should be met for diagnostic assessments carried
out on young people below the age of 16.</p><p>Information regarding the qualifications
or professional memberships of those undertaking dyslexia assessments for young people
below the age of 16 is not held centrally, nor is it held by the Student Loans Company.</p>

<p>Study needs assessors of Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) determine the specific
support a student requires. They are currently not required to hold an Assessment
Practising Certificate.</p><p> </p><p>We recently announced the decision to allow
students with Specific Learning Difficulties, such as dyslexia, who are applying for
DSA to use evidence of their diagnosis from before 16 years of age. Currently, for
the purposes of DSA, the person carrying out this diagnostic assessment must hold
an Assessment Practising Certificate, but we are considering whether to allow alternative
accreditation routes.</p><p> </p>

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for including
specific provisions for (1) dyslexia, and (2) other long-term difficulties with literacy,
in the Equality Act 2010 in order to improve the provision of assistance for people
with such conditions.

<p>The Equality Act 2010 provides protection for any person with a condition that
meets the Act’s definition of disability – that is, “a physical or mental impairment
which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry
out normal day-day activities.”</p><p> </p><p>The 2010 Act does not, except in a few
specific instances, mention by name the conditions that automatically fall within
the definition of disability.</p><p> </p><p>This is because in most cases, it is <em>the
impact on the person’s life that is the qualifying criteria rather than the condition
itself</em>. The only specified disabilities in the Act are <em>Cancer</em>, <em>HIV</em>
and <em>Multiple</em> <em>Sclerosis</em>.</p>

To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they provide to local authorities as
to when individuals with dyslexia or other long-term difficulties with literacy should
qualify for appropriate assistance under the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.

<p>Under the Equality Act (2010) a person has a disability if he or she has a physical
or mental impairment and the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect
on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. We have published
guidance under the act on matters to be taken into account in determining questions
relating to the definition of disability.</p><p> </p><p>'The Equality Act 2010 Guidance’
on matters to be taken into account in determining questions relating to the definition
of disability, states that a disability can arise from a range of impairments that
includes developmental disorders such as dyslexia. This guidance is attached. Some
children and young people with disabilities have special educational needs, in which
case the Children and Families Act (2014) also applies. Both these acts impose duties
on a range of bodies, including local authorities.</p>

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the approach to
specific learning difficulties and dyslexia contained within Warwickshire Educational
Psychological Services' publication Teaching Children and Young People with Literacy
Difficulties Practice Guidance, published in February.

<p>The department have not made an assessment of this report. We are continuing to
improve standards on literacy and to support schools and parents on special educational
needs and disability (SEND) including dyslexia.</p><p> </p><p>Schools are required
under the Children and Families Act 2014 and the accompanying SEND Code of Practice
to identify and address the special educational needs (SEN) of the pupils or students
they support. Maintained schools are given notional SEN budgets and should use this
to pay for support to children with dyslexia where required. Schools must use their
reasonable endeavours to make sure that a child with SEN gets the support they need
– this means doing everything they can to meet children and young people’s SEN.</p><p>
</p><p>The Equality Act is clear that a person (P) has a disability if — (a) P has
a physical or mental impairment, and (b) the impairment has a substantial and long-term
adverse effect on P's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. All schools
have duties under the Equality Act 2010 towards individual disabled children and young
people.</p><p> </p>

To ask Her Majesty's Government which groups and individuals they are asking for expert
advice for their review of the second assessment for the identification of disabled
students wishing to apply for the Disabled Students' Allowance if the first assessment
or identification has been carried out before the age of 16.

<p>In February 2018 officials from the Department for Education wrote to the following
organisations seeking their views on whether it should still be necessary for students
with specific learning difficulties to have a post-16 diagnostic assessment when applying
for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs): The Association of Dyslexia Specialists
in Higher Education (ADSHE), The British Dyslexia Association, The British Psychological
Society, Dyslexia Action, The Helen Arkell Institute, The National Association of
Disability Practitioners, the National Union of Students, the Real Group, the University
of Southampton, and The Professional Association for teachers and assessors of students
with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD)/the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee.</p><p>
</p><p>It is inevitable that some of the organisations whose expert view we have sought
for this review will provide diagnostic assessments, training to become diagnostic
assessors or accreditation of that training, and will receive payment for those services.
We will be mindful of that in reaching a final decision on the review.</p>